SAP hires new Aussie chief

SAP Australia has a new chief executive officer following the departure of Andrew Barkla, who has stepped down after nearly three years as the software giant's A/NZ boss.

John Ruthven

Barkla has been replaced by John Ruthven as president and managing director for SAP Australia and New Zealand.

He left the company to take on a new leadership role at another organisation "outside the industry", SAP said. A spokesperson declined to provide further details.

Ruthven was most recently the chief operating officer for SAP's local chapter. He first joined the business in early 2014 following stints at enterprise software companies Zuora and CA Technologies.

He has a long history in the technology industry, primarily in sales and managerial roles.

Ruthven takes on his new position immediately and will be aided by Barkla in an advisory role for a short period to help with the transition. He will report to SAP APJ regional president Adaire Fox-Martin.

"We thank Andrew Barkla for his leadership in this transformative phase for SAP and look forward to John’s proven ability to scale business outcomes for our customers," Fox-Martin said in a statement.